Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a technique for discharging moisture having entered inside stressed skin structures represented by the wings of an aircraft.
Description of the Related Art
In stressed skin structures of an aircraft, for example, the wings, water may enter inside the stressed skin structures through fastener holes which are penetrated by fasteners fixing a skin onto a reinforcing material. Normally, this moisture is frozen while the flight altitude is high, and melts when the aircraft has landed on the ground. Therefore, if the aircraft continues cruising, the moisture having entered there freezes and melts repeatedly and, depending on the position of freezing, may cause a decrease in structural strength. For example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2013-163480 discloses a device which prevents icing or melts ice on the wings of an aircraft by heating, but this device cannot discharge moisture having entered inside the wings.
Accordingly, it is the current practice to dry moisture by heating the applicable part with heating means, such as a lamp, while the aircraft is parked after landing.
However, the recent airlines are required to reduce the time from landing to the next flight, and, to this end, it is desirable to discharge moisture more quickly from stressed skin structures.
Therefore, the present invention aims to provide a system which can quickly discharge moisture having entered inside stressed skin structures.